Woods Increases Lead at Western Open

NANCY ARMOUR

Published
8:00 pm EDT, Friday, July 4, 2003

AP Sports Writer

Tiger Woods shot a 7-under 65 Saturday in the 100th Western Open, setting the 54-hole tournament record at 18-under 198. That breaks by three strokes the mark set by Sam Snead in 1949, and matched by six others.

"I think I got off to a good start," he said. "I hit the ball really well starting out, and on top of that, I made everything."

He also extended his lead to six shots _ very bad news for his opponents. Of the other 30 tournaments he's led or been tied for the lead after three rounds, he's gone on to win 28 of them.

And two of those wins were right here in the 1997 and 1999 Western Opens.

"I've always enjoyed being ahead. On top of that, if you're ahead and you go out there and shoot the same score, you automatically win," Woods said. "You don't have to try and make up ground. If you are ahead and you make a couple of mistakes, at least you have that lead and the cushion to right the ship and get it right back, and you can still win the tournament."

Robert Allenby, who won the tournament in 2000, and Cliff Kresge are tied for second at 204. Rich Beem matched Woods' 65 and was seven strokes back.

Mike Weir, defending champion Jerry Kelly and Glen Day are at 206.

"Obviously if Tiger keeps playing the way he is, no, there's no way," Beem said when asked if anyone could catch Woods. "Maybe somebody can shoot 63 or even 62 and maybe he'll shoot even par.

"He's obviously hitting the ball fantastic and obviously playing fantastic."

That he was. Woods was near-perfect through the front nine, shooting a 30 and making only one bogey. He hit six of seven fairways, and the one he missed didn't cost him at all. In the right rough off the tee on the par-5 No. 5, Woods hit a tremendous second shot that left him just 11 inches from the pin.

He rolled it in for an eagle, getting to 15 under.

He needed just 11 putts on the front nine, two-putting only twice. He had putts of 8 feet or less on all but three holes, and his longest was a 20-footer on the par-3 No. 6.

The ball slowed down the closer it got to the hole, and it looked as if it might stop inches short. But with fans yelling, "Get there!" and Woods pointing at the cup, the ball kept going, falling almost slow-motion into the hole

A big grin crossed Woods' face, and the crowd roared.

"That was my main focus, just give myself looks (at birdies) because I was putting so well," he said. "The putts I had legitimate chances at, I made."

He followed with another long birdie putt at the No. 7, this one from 12 feet. This time there was no question the ball was going in, and Woods' caddie, Steve Williams, turned and pumped his fist as it dropped into the cup. That put Woods' at 17 under, and suddenly, a round of 60 or _ dare we say it? _ 59 didn't seem out of reach.

"Me and my caddie were wondering if he was ever going to miss a putt," Kresge said. "What can you say? It's hard to catch a guy that makes every putt. All you can do is try and make some putts yourself.

"I guess we're fortunate he made two bogeys, or we'd be eight shots behind."

Woods' first bogey came on No. 8. With what looked like a makable 9-footer for par, the ball ricocheted off the back edge of the cup.

He seemed to be in more trouble on the par-5 11th, pushing his drive into the rough on the right side. His second shot wasn't much better, landing in the left rough behind two greenside bunkers.

In a showcase of just how superior his game was, though, he chipped on within 5 feet and then made the putt for a birdie, dropping to 18 under.

"You're going to have to make a ton of birdies if you're going to win the golf tournament," Kresge said. "It's crucial to get off to a good start because you can make a lot of birdies in the first 11 holes, as Tiger did today.

"If he slips up and shoots even par and you shoot 4 or 5 under, then you've got a ballgame."

That's a really big if, though. Woods wasn't nearly as spectacular on the back nine as he was on the front, making his first back-to-back bogeys of the week. But even when he got into trouble, he made it look easy.

His drive off the 17th sailed so far right it landed in a spectator's chair. After taking a drop, Woods hit a wedge shot that landed within 10 feet of the pin, giving him an easy birdie putt.

"When you have success by being in that same position, it just breeds more confidence," Woods said. "Winning breeds winning."

Divots:@ Kresge's shoes rubbed his left heel so badly his wife brought him a different pair and he changed on the ninth tee. … Snead shot 199 over the last three rounds in the 1949 Western Open. … Beem, Allenby, Fredrik Jacobson and Pat Bates played bogey-free rounds Saturday.